For a moment the big hall seemed empty. The technicians had left for a cup of coffee in the cafeteria, and the clicking noises of a computer at work had stopped. The little girl who had been hiding behind a memory unit advanced to the console. “Your identity, please,” asked an automated voice. “I am Irma Albers,” she said into the mike. “References, please”. “I am the daughter of Professor Albers.” The electronic analysers passed the voice through oscilloscopes, magnified it in space and time, and in a micro-second came the verdict: “Identity correct. Girl between seven and eight years old. I.Q. 140 – a bright girl.” “Ask your question,” said the polite voice. “Tell me everything!” said little Irma eagerly. Cascades of electrons raced through the circuits. Analysers – comparers – memories – rules and regulations – quotations from famous people – entire encyclopedias rushed through and were rejected. Answers arrived and were censored as unfit because of the age of the questioner or for other reasons. Nano-seconds, micro-seconds passed. It would have taken a man years of meditation to accomplish what the giant machine brain did in its exploration, rejection and selection. And finally, after 12.5 micro-seconds, the answer came:
“All knowledge is in you. Nothing can be learned which is not already in you as hidden knowledge. The flower of knowledge in your heart will open, petal by petal, under the thousands of shocks life brings you. If you have chosen to know the truth about everything, you will know it. Truth also will choose you. You have not only one life, but the whole of eternity before you in which to know everything.”
At that moment the door into the hall opened. “Naughty, naughty,” said the chief engineer with a twinkle, as he shook his finger at Irma. “You have been talking to the computer again?”
Te Ana Vava (Medhananda)
(Medhananda was born in Germany and became a judge of the High Court at Frankfurt. He then lived in Tahiti for several years. In 1949 he wrote to Sri Aurobindo and joined the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in 1952. He was given the work of Librarian of Sri Aurobindo Library by the Mother.)
